


why pretend you've somewhere else to go?

by Kate_Reid



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Fluff, Gen, Holidays
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-04
Updated: 2021-01-04
Packaged: 2021-03-14 11:07:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,385
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28544544
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kate_Reid/pseuds/Kate_Reid
Summary: Rey falls asleep on the subway on Christmas Eve; Ben wakes her after she misses her stop and invites her for Christmas with him.I hope you enjoy this!  Thank you for the prompt!
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 24
Kudos: 93
Collections: World Between Worlds Holiday Cookie Exchange 2020





	why pretend you've somewhere else to go?

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Somewhere_overthe_Reylo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Somewhere_overthe_Reylo/gifts).



As the subway car slowed, Ben stood up, sliding his satchel over his shoulder, picking up the paper bag from the seat next to him, and walking toward the exit, bracing himself against the railing as the train halted. When the door slid open before him, he exhaled as the warm breeze of the tunnel blew across his face. 

He stepped out onto the platform, glancing up as he noticed the operator moving through the train, walking parallel to Ben’s route toward the stairs up to the street. 

This was the end of the line, so the operator was probably making her customary walk-through before the train went back in the opposite direction. Just as Ben was about to step onto the staircase, he heard sounds coming from the open train car doors. Deciding to stick around in case the operator had encountered some unsavory character and needed assistance, he moved back toward the train.

As Ben approached, he could make out words. 

“Honey, you’ve got to get up, This is the end of the line.” The operator’s tone of voice was crisp, yet still gentle, so this probably wasn’t an unsavory character.

Ben couldn’t see who the operator was addressing--all he saw through the window was a woman’s tan coat and slightly disheveled brown hair. 

The woman must have asked a question that he couldn’t hear, but he did hear the operator’s response. “No, dear, this is the last one. Won’t be another for five more hours.”

Straightening her tan coat, the woman stood. The operator continued on her rounds. Ben moved again toward the stairs, but more slowly this time. He wanted to make sure that the woman exited safely, but also didn’t want to look like someone she should fear. This was an art he had perfected long ago. He knew that his size and resting bitch face could intimidate strangers.

Once he’d made his measured way up the steps to the street, his face was immediately attacked by wind and sharp, cold moisture. When Ben paused to look up, the streetlights were hazy behind a swirl of snowflakes.

*******

Slowly, Rey walked up out of the subway, trying to formulate a plan. She’d fallen asleep and missed her stop, and now here she was at the end of the line, getting off the last train. What a pain in the ass. She pulled out her phone, supposing she could call an Uber to get her home. But when she reached the street, she knew she’d have hell of a time getting a ride in this blizzard. 

_Great. Just great._

At least she didn’t have anywhere to go tomorrow, so this late night wouldn’t ruin anything. Rey’s plans for Christmas Day involved only her pajamas, some Hallmark movies, some Doordash Chinese food, and a couple evening Facetime calls--one with Finn and Poe, who were visiting Poe’s parents, and one with Rose and Kaydel, who were visiting Rose’s sister, Paige.

Being on her own for Christmas didn’t bother Rey. She’d welcomed the time alone in the office tonight to get ahead on her projects. By this time, she’d already had several happy, hectic holidays with her cherished friends, and they did all have plans to get together on New Year’s Eve. 

Finn and Poe had just been married this past summer, and Rey had been overjoyed to stand up as Finn’s best person. They would have a great time with Poe’s parents. She’d met them only briefly at the wedding, but they clearly loved their son and were only too happy to welcome Finn to the family. 

Rose hadn’t been to visit her sister in ages, and Rey knew that she’d been very excited to meet Paige’s baby daughter, as well as to introduce Kaydel to her family.

However, the snow currently swirling around Rey made her feel a small twinge of envy--all her friends’ destinations were warm enough that they could spend Christmas on a sunny beach if they wanted.

A particularly cold gust to her face brought Rey back to the task at hand. A tall man had gone up the stairs just before her, and she saw him pausing to draw his red plaid muffler up around his face, then study her with concern. 

She must have said her _”oh, shit”_ out loud.

******* 

Ben watched the woman in the tan coat move slowly up the steps, pull out her phone, then ascend to the street. Her soft _”oh, shit”_ reached his ears, and, though he had meant to keep his eyes carefully trained away from her, he caught a glimpse of her face and recognized her immediately.

“Rey?” he asked, lifting his voice only a little so it would carry over the wind.

She looked up from her phone, clearly surprised, “Yes?” Suspicion flickered over her features before her expression relaxed. “Ben!” She smiled in recognition, then walked toward him. 

His body relaxed as he sighed with relief. “I didn’t know you lived out this way! It’s really coming down out here. Can I walk you home?”

“That’s the problem. I _don’t_ live out this way. I fell asleep on the train and missed my stop. And now I feel bad calling an Uber in this.” Rey’s shoulders slumped.

“Well, I do live around here, just around the corner. You could come home with me.” Ben felt his cheeks getting hot, blushing even redder than the cold had already made them. “I mean, just to get warm until the streets get plowed or the next train. I only meant just--” 

Rey placed a brown-gloved hand on his arm. “Ben. Relax. I know what you meant. I trust you. You’re Poe’s friend.” 

Ben let out another sigh of relief. Her touch on his arm recalled their best-persons dance together at Finn and Poe’s wedding. “Okay, come on then,” was all he could say.

“I just hope I’m not disturbing any plans of yours,” Rey said as they began trudging through the snow together. 

“Nope, no plans. I was just going to have myself a merry little Christmas,” Ben replied. “The only thing I was going to do tonight was put up these.” He raised the large handled paper bag he was carrying, lifting it so she caught a glimpse of the contents--brightly colored paper chains and cutout snowflakes. “We had our holiday party at the community center a couple days ago, and these would’ve just been tossed out on Monday anyway. I thought it might be nice to decorate my apartment with them.”

“You’re not spending Christmas with your family?” Rey asked, remembering Han and Leia from Finn and Poe’s wedding.

“My parents are on a boat right now, somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic. Mom always wanted to do the crossing, and Dad got it for her as a gift. They’ve been sending me the most ridiculous pictures.” He rolled his eyes affectionately. 

“That’s wonderful!” Rey smiled delightedly. She knew from Poe that Ben’s relationship with his parents hadn’t always been the best, and it had only been in the past couple of years that they’d come together again.

“I’ll have to show you a few, but I will warn you that Dad entered the cannonball contest and Mom got to go on stage with the magician.”

“You’ll have to show me them _all,_ you mean! And I’d love to help you put up the decorations, if you’d like.” Rey’s hazel eyes sparkled.

“Of course. And . . . if you’d like to stay, I bought a bunch of stuff to make dinner. Way too much for me. If you--wait, you didn’t have plans, did you?” He blushed again at his own presumptuousness.

“No, I didn’t. At least not till now.”

*******

Late the next evening, Ben looked around his home. Paper snowflakes had been taped to all the windows, colorful paper chains hung over all the doorways, and his refrigerator was full of leftovers of a dinner that had been cooked and eaten with several helpings of laughter and smiles.

On her way home, Rey smiled out the window of the train as it pulled up to her stop. She was awake this time, and her heart was full of laughter, smiles, deliciously brightly-colored memories, and the promise to make a call as soon as she got home.


End file.
